VZCZCXRO2753
PP RUEHNH
DE RUEHNH #0078/01 2460221
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 020221Z SEP 08
FM AMCONSUL NAHA
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0986
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0981
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0097
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 1046

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAHA 000078 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA/OCS/ACS/EAP MEENA KORFF 
DEPT FOR CA/PPT/SIA PAULA CARTER 
TOKYO FOR CBP/ED BAYRON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC CMGT CPAS JA
SUBJECT: NAHA HOSTS SIA MILITARY PASSPORT COURIER TRAINING 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: ConGen Naha in coordination with State 
Department Special Issuance Agency (SIA) and Department of 
Defense hosted a Military Passport Agents' Training Conference 
on Camp Foster Marine Base August 19-20 in Okinawa, Japan. Over 
40 military passport agents from military installations 
throughout Japan, Korea and Hawaii, and staff from U.S. Embassy 
Seoul, Tokyo and ConGen Naha participated in the training. The 
conference also provided an occasion for Consul General Ray Baca 
to conduct public outreach in Okinawa on new Visa Waiver travel 
rules and facilitate a meeting between SIA and the largest 
military passport courier in Okinawa. END SUMMARY. 
 
MILITARY COURIERS PROVIDE AN INVALUABLE SERVICE 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. (U) Naha is home to approximately 50,000 U.S. service members 
and their families. Passport acceptance agents from 6 military 
installations throughout the island accept official, no-fee 
dependent and tourist passport applications. Couriers deliver 
the applications for tourist passports to the Consulate on a 
weekly basis. 
 
¶3. (U) During the two-day conference, U.S. Embassy Tokyo Consul 
General Ray Baca reminded participants of the valuable role 
passport couriers play in providing quality customer service to 
our military members and their families. On Okinawa alone, 
monthly military couriers accept approximately 80-100 
applications for official passports and 100-200 for tourist 
passports.  The U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa Birth Registration 
Office administered oaths and aided in preparation of more than 
1000 Consular Reports of Birth Abroad applications in 2007. 
Through offering courier services, the military saves couples 
with newborn children the trek to the Consulate to fill out this 
vital paperwork.  Without these services, applicants would need 
to appear in person at the Embassy or Consulates and customer 
service would suffer, Consul General Baca told conference 
participants. 
 
CONFERENCE A HUGE SUCCESS 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Conference participants noted the two-day training 
provided an excellent opportunity for State and DOD personnel to 
exchange ideas and techniques for improving customer service and 
better handling the needs of our service members and their 
families.  The conference included sessions on the Foreign 
Clearance Guide, passport application forms and acceptance 
procedures, and laws affecting issuance of passports to 
children. 
 
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION LENDS A HAND 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) Edward Bayron, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 
Assistant Attache assigned to Embassy Tokyo attended the 
conference.  With over a decade of experience on immigration 
matters, Bayron provided insight on immigration issues and U.S. 
border management.  In addition to detailing the role of CBP and 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) overseas, 
Bayron explained entry procedures and requirements for new Legal 
Permanent Residents (LPR) and immigration rules that apply to 
U.S. citizens, visitors and green card holders. 
 
¶6. (U) Outside of the conference, CBP's Bayron and Consul 
General Baca were interviewed by the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper on 
the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for Visa 
Waiver Program travelers set to take effect January 12, 2009. 
 
CAMP FOSTER'S IPAC IS BACK ON TRACK 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) ConGen Naha's largest military passport courier Marine 
Corps Base Camp Foster Installation Personnel Administration 
Center (IPAC) has faced continued difficulties in obtaining 
official passports.  In early 2008 IPAC was not in compliance 
with all the requisites to fully process official passport 
applications to the satisfaction of SIA.  This led to some of 
the applications being rejected. In April 2008, CONOFF and 
Consul General Baca met with representatives from IPAC to 
discuss the issue.  Since that time, IPAC sent two Marines in 
May to attend the SIA passport courier training in Washington. 
From June, a new director assumed management responsibilities at 
IPAC. CONOFFs met with IPAC leadership again on August 1, 2008, 
to discuss the issue and also scheduled a meeting between IPAC 
leadership and trainers from SIA and DOD for August 20, 2008. 
 
¶8. (SBU) On August 20, representatives from IPAC, SIA, ConGen 
Naha, AmEmbassy Tokyo and DOD discussed outstanding issues 
 
NAHA 00000078  002 OF 002 
 
 
related to IPAC's processing of official passport applications. 
SIA reiterated their requirements for the approval of official 
passport applications.  They also requested that official travel 
orders accompany all applications.  In order to meet the needs 
of the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) if travel orders are not 
available at the time the passport application is submitted, SIA 
advised IPAC to send a justification letter stating the nature 
of the travel and the justification for the official passports. 
SIA agreed to monitor passport applications submitted by IPAC 
and direct lines of communication were established between IPAC 
and SIA. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The meetings were particularly useful in moving all the 
parties toward a resolution of the issue.  ConGen Naha will 
continue to offer support and training to IPAC.  Two employees 
from IPAC attended the August SIA training, and will serve as 
backup passport acceptance agents. After the conference, the 
trainers toured the IPAC facility, met individually with 3 of 
the 4 IPAC military passport agents and the director of IPAC to 
review official passport application policy and discussed some 
specific cases which had been rejected.  COMMENT: U.S. Marine 
Corps Base Camp Foster is home to the Marine Corps Command for 
all Marines assigned to Japan.  The Marine Expeditionary Unit is 
considered the "911" emergency force for the Pacific and Marines 
are often called upon to react to situations throughout the 
Pacific in a short period of time. It is critical Marines 
assigned to the MEU who require and are authorized to obtain 
official passports can do so in a timely manner.  Their duties 
often require them to be able to deploy via MIL or CIV air on 
short notice.  END COMMENT. 
 
CONTINUED TRAINING IS NECESSARY 
------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (U) COMMENT: Post would like to thank Paula Carter from SIA 
and Eugenia Doran and Megan Ogborn from DOD for their invaluable 
training.  It is critical new service members assigned to 
military passport agent offices receive adequate training. 
Given the large number of military passport couriers throughout 
Japan and Korea, post strongly recommends SIA and DOD consider 
annual training held in Japan and/or Korea.  END COMMENT. 
MAHER